NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Christopher Newport University has been voted as the top team in the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) heading into the 2025-26 season. The league released its annual men's basketball preseason poll on Tuesday.

John Krikorian's squad received 36 points and six first-place votes to top the rankings. The Captains feature an impressive group of returning players from a season ago when the CNU went 23-6 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The returners for Christopher Newport include lone senior Collin Hines, as well as a large junior class that includes Toa Hollenbeck, Tyson Henderson, Ethan Ward, Jason Ofcarcik, Ryan Derderian, Isaiah Dozier, Brian Weiser, and Milyan Smith-Walker.  The Captains are ranked ninth in the nation in the pre-season poll from D3hoops.com.

CNU advanced to its ninth straight NCAA Tournament last season, the longest active consecutive streak in the country, and the 28th all-time tourney in program history.

Mary Washington collected 31 points to finish second with one top vote.  UC Santa Cruz totaled 24 points to rank third, while Salisbury was fourth (23). C2C newcomer JWU Charlotte tallied 15 points in fifth place, while first-year member Regent (11) and Warren Wilson (7) rounded out the poll.

The Captains open the new season on Friday, November 7th, at Penn State Altoona in a 6:00 p.m. scheduled start. CNU's home opener will be on Wednesday, November 12th, against Randolph-Macon College at the Freeman Center. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. The postseason begins with the C2C Men's Basketball Championship, hosted by UC Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz, California, from February 26-28. 

The complete C2C preseason poll: